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Jones, Williams-Lambert up for CFL awards

Head coach Chris Jones, who normally dresses in black from head to toe, sports a green shirt during the Labour Day Classic on Sept. 2, 2018. The Roughriders have won three straight games with him in green. submitted photo/Saskatchewan Roughriders

Two members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders are West Division nominees for a couple of league-wide awards.

Roughriders head coach Chris Jones is the West Division Coach of the Year while first-year receiver Jordan Williams-Lambert is the division pick for the Most Outstanding Rookie of the Year.

Jones, who is in his third season with the Riders after joining the team in December 2015, lead the green and white to a 12-6 record after a 3-4 start to the 2018 season.

After five wins his first year, Jones and the team bounced back in 2017 with a 10-win campaign and a return to the playoffs.

The 12 wins in 2018 ensured the Riders will host their first playoff game since 2013 with the western semi-final scheduled for Sunday afternoon against Winnipeg.

Jones was also nominated for Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2015 while with the Edmonton Eskimos.

Williams-Lambert was one of the 15 Riders players who made their CFL debut in 2018, putting together a spectacular season.

The Ball State product joined the team at their mini-camp in April. During his first season, he picked up 764 yards and four touchdowns with a team-leading 62 catches.

The 24-year-old had two 100 yard games, including a season-high 152 yards on Aug. 19.

The last Rider to be named the West Division Most Outstanding Rookie was Weston Dressler in 2008.

Jones will go up against Ottawa’s Rick Campbell and Williams-Lambert will go against the Redblacks’ Lewis Ward in the final round of voting.

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